This is the fourth in the series of excerpts we’re running from the highly recommended, up-to-date, interactive guide to pregnancy and infancy, “Ready, Set, Baby!” Last week’s excerpt covered essential guidelines for setting up a safe nursery. This week the team behind “Ready, Set, Baby!” follows up with a post on one of the most crucial parts of nursery safety: selecting a bassinet and crib.

Before you bring your baby home from the hospital, be sure to double-check that your crib, bassinet, and sleep environment are all set up in accordance with these important safe nursery guidelines.

Nighttime Sleep: Your Bedroom or the Nursery?

There is no official recommendation on where a newborn should sleep—a crib in the nursery or a bassinet in your room. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ SIDS Guidelines say that newborns who sleep in the same room as their parents—but don’t share their parents’ bed—may have a lower incidence of SIDS. (You can certainly have a crib in your bedroom instead of a bassinet, but, practically speaking, most people don’t do this because it takes a lot of space.) Room sharing makes frequent middle-of-the-night-feedings in the first six to eight weeks much more convenient. It can also be reassuring for new parents to see and hear their newborn.